Few foods, beverages to completely avoid during pregnancy

Women during pregnancy need to ensure their proper diet provides better nutrients and enough energy for the baby to develop properly.

A woman also need to make sure that her body is healthy enough to deal with the changes that are occurring.

For a healthy pregnancy, the mother’s diet needs to be balanced and nutritious – this involves the right balance of proteins, carbohydrates, and fats, and consuming a wide variety of plants like vegetables, and fruits.

Some women’s diets may be impacted by ethical beliefs, religious requirements, or health conditions, so checking with a doctor is an important part of planning a pregnancy diet.

However, here are few foods that mothers need to avoid during pregnancy:

1. High Mercury Fish

Mercury is a highly toxic element. It has no known safe level of exposure and is most commonly found in polluted water.

Moreover, High-mercury fish include:

1. Shark
2. Swordfish
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3. King mackerel
4. Tuna (especially albacore tuna)

2. Undercooked processed Meat

Eating undercooked or raw meat increases your risk of infection from several bacteria or parasites.

Moreover, Bacteria may threaten the health of your unborn baby, possibly leading to stillbirth or severe neurological illnesses.

3. Organ Meat

Organ meat is a great source of several nutrients.

These include iron, vitamin B12, vitamin A and copper — all of which are good for an expectant mother and her child.

However, eating too much animal-based vitamin A not recommended during pregnancy.

4. Caffeine

Caffeine, the most commonly used psychoactive substance, mainly found in coffee, tea, soft drinks and cocoa.

Pregnant women are generally advised to limit their caffeine intake to less than 200 mg per day, or about 2–3 cups of coffee.

5. Unpasteurized Milk, Cheese & Fruit:

Raw milk and unpasteurized cheese can contain an array of harmful bacteria.

The same goes for unpasteurized juice, which is also prone to bacterial contamination.

However, these infections can all have life-threatening consequences for an unborn baby.

6. Alcohol

Pregnant women advised to completely avoid drinking alcohol, as it increases the risk of miscarriage and stillbirth.

Even a small amount can negatively impact your baby’s brain development.

Furthermore, it can also cause fetal alcohol syndrome, which involves facial deformities, heart defects and intellectual disability.